BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA (REUTERS) - Colombian police seized 6 tonnes of pure cocaine, the third largest amount to have been confiscated from drug trafficking gangs in the country's history.

"These drugs belong to a consortium which cooperate in the north and east of the country. These organisations have taken a huge blow as these drugs would be worth more than US$213 million (S$298 million)," said Defence Minister Luis Carlos Villegas.

The authorities confiscated the drugs in the northern city of Barranquilla.

They say they belonged to several gangs and were hidden in a scrap metal shipment which was destined for Spain.

Colombian officials have already seized more than 100 tonnes of cocaine this year, building on their success from 2016, when a record 378 tonnes was stopped from hitting the streets.

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